Film-developing rack



Feb. 24, 1925. .if

. E. s. COLEMAN FILM DIIVELOPING: RACK Filed Julyy '1. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 51 .0000000 00 U'ff Feb. 24. 1925.

E. s. COLEMAN EILM DEVELOPING RACK Filed July '7, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. Z4, 1925.

IETHAN S. COLEMAN, 0F TOLEDO, O'HIO.

FILM-DEVELOPING RACK.

Application filed Ju1y 7, 1924. Serial No. 724,677.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

-Be it known that I, ETHAN S. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Film-Developing Racks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

`When developing a plurality of photographic films, it is customary to hang such films upon a rack and lower the rack and films to immerse the latter in the developing solution. A great deal of difficulty is often encountered however, in preventing contact of the films with each other and consequent scratching thereof. This difficulty is particularly prevalent when the immersing frame is moved upwardly and downwardly to break the. minute air bubbles which commonly form on the surfaces of the films. It is the principal object of my invention however to provide an improved type of developing rack, in which novel means arek provided for supporting the films and holding them in spaced relation, so that they cannot come in contact with each other, even though they may transversely curl in the usual manner.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a developing rack of simple and inexpensive construction, one which may be easily and rapidly operated, and a device which will be generally eiiicient and desirable.

Vith the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the rack showing a number of films supported thereby.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the manner in which the film spreaders may be held in elevated positions to permit the lmsto be easily applied to or removed from the suspending devices.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing more particularly the construction of one of the film spreaders.

F igure 5 is a sidel elevation showing a modified form of construction, with one of the vertical rods shown in Fig. 8 omitted in order that one of the films may be clearly shown suspended from the hanger.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hanger shown in 5, with the suspending rod shown in section.

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the frame structure shown in Fig. 5.

In describing my invention, I will first refer to the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and while this construction will be rather specifically described, it is to be understood at the outset, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous modifications may be made.

The numeral 1 designates a horizontal supporting bar which may be suspended in any of the usual ways. A pair of inverted L-shaped arms 2 are secured to this bar and project rearwardly and downwardly therefrom, in inwardly spaced relation with its ends, the lower ends of said arms carrying a horizontal bar 3 to which a plurality of vertical hook shanlrs 4 are secured, said Shanks having hooks 5 at their lower ends, which are preferably disposed horizontally for engagement with any desired film clips 6 for holding the fihns 7 to be developed. A horizontal guard rod 8 is adapted to extend across the free ends of all of the hooks 5, one end of this rod being shown loosely pivoted at 9 to a vertical rod 10 which depends from the supporting bar 1, while the other end of the rod 8 is detachably engaged with a hook 11 on a second rod 12 projecting downwardly from said bar.

At suitable points, spaced inwardly from the ends of the bar 1, are transverse straps 13 which are secured to said bar and project oppositely therefrom. These straps support a plurality of vertical rods 14 whose lowerends are suitably connected by a lower end frame 15. Slidable along the rods 14, I have shown upper and lower film spreaders 16 and 17, each of which may well be of the construction detailed in Fig. 4. In this view, the spreader 17 is shown as consisting of a frame formed of parallel side bars or rods 18, and end bars 19, transverse film spacing members 20 being extended between said side bars. In the construction shown,

the spacing fmembers 2O are` f'orniedjby.v

-that whenl'any film curls toward its gelatinecoated face,.the .edges ofy the film will abut one.y of the spacing members 20 and the center ofthe film will abut. the 'adjacent spacing member, at the reverse side of the film,` Isothat vthese spacing members can at no' time come 1n contact with the gelatine coating of' thefilm to in any manner injure the la-tte1'.` 1t isof course understood that when applying the films to the rack, they are all KVAfaced in the same direction,..so that when CII they. curl in'thejusual manner, all parts thereof willzbe.effectivelyheld in spaced relation. VPreferably, additional clips 22 are appliedto .the lower extremities of the films -and they Vexertsufiicient weight thereon to hold said films taut, yet theyliave no excessive stretching effect on the films, suchfas certain ,weights which are commonly used. The two -spreaders 16 and 17 are .provided with appropriate guides 23 which are slid-` able along` the ,rods 14, so as'to permit vertical `movement of .said spreaders. When the spreader 17 islowered, its descent. is limited bythe base frame 15, and any desired means 1 may be employed to hold the spreader 16 at a position between the' spreader. 17 and the hooks 5. Merely,` for` illustrative: purposes, removable pms.. 24

have been shown, passing through openings 25 in therods 14, for this purpose. `When the spreadersV 16 and 17 are raised to the maximum, theyare above .the hooks and the film guides, defined .by the side bars 18 and the spacing members v2O7 l.then -occupy positions aroundtlie hookshanks 4. Thus,` the hooks are readily accessible to permit the engagement of the films therewith or removal therefrom.' vWhen ...removing the films from the hooks, the rod 8 will, of

course; first be released 'and swungidownwardly, as. indicated in Fig. 2. Then,;too, it will be understood that after the films have been engaged with the hooks. prior to developing, the bar-8 isswung upwardly and engaged with the hook 11. t.

Any 'desired means may be employed tov hold the spreaders 16 and 17 in the raised position of Fig. 2, butter-illustrative purposes, 1 have-shown a hook 26 pivoted to `the bar 1y and engageable with-a transverse with which the spreader 17 provided. Y

rename After applyinggthe clips-.6 to therhooks 5 and'- labelingth'e films in the usual manner, the spreaders 16 and 17 are lowered to operativepositiondand the rod 8 is then secured in operative'position. Then, the entire rack and the films carried thereby may be immersed in the developing tank and the rack-maybe shaken `as much as desired to break the air bubbles which commonly form on the films, without danger ofl these films coming. in contact with and injuring each other. rlhe rack is of such la. size that a plurality .of duplicate racksmay be simultane# ously inserted into a single develop-ingtank, i or the like, enabling the photographer to si-l multaneously develop-an Vunusual number of films. Vhen the films have been immersed for the .proper 'time the rack is of course .removed, the rod 8..is released, :the spreaders 16 and 17 are moved upwardly to the position of' Fig. 2A and the films are detached from the hoo rs V5 and hung upon any desired drying rack. Y

ln the construction shown in Figs. 5 to 8, a circular designis shown, for use inconnection with certain formsof circular developing tanks.. 1a designates a suitable support from which. ay hanger 2a extends downwardly to support a ring 18 to which the Shanks of hooks 5a vare secured, said hooks being,` radially disposed, as shown clearly linFig.' 6.l Rods 14a extend downwardly from the-support 1 .and may well beA connected atltheir lower endsby a .ring` 15a, and spreaders 16"L and. 17 n, are movable along the rodsY and may be held in raised position byhooks26a. VEach of the spreaders 116VV and 17a preterably comprises inner andouter rings 18a and 18b connected atintervals by radial rods27a and Vradial film spacing members 20a. These spacing members. likezthe members20, are preferably lformedfrom flexible *lines7 and. the linesare coiled aroundthe rings between the members 20?,..as indicated at 21a. rlhe use of the construction just described will be apparent. and itV will be equally as efficient as. the formofconstruction first describe-d. BothV forms of the invention are very desirable in every way and these forms may be followed if desired .in the manufacture of .the device, but within the scopre of the invention as c1aimed,numerous changes may be made, as above stated, and. it is obvious that I am not restricted tothe n um-Y ber of'fhooks, spreaders and-.other parts, which may. bensed. Two spreadersare usually sufiicient, but any desired number may bev employed.-

1. Ak film developing rack .comprising asupport having a plurality of filmY suspending devices, a filmspre-ader movable toa position- 'above the film-engagingportionsV of the suspending devices to permit ei'igage-y ment of the films with said devices or removal therefrom, and means for holding said spreader in a lowered operative position to hold the films in spaced rela-tion.

2. A film developing rack comprising a supportl having a plurality of film suspending devices, a film spreader movable to a position above the film-engaging portions of the suspending devices to permit engagement of the films with said devices or removal therefrom, ay plurality of rods depending from said support for guiding said spreader to and holding it in a lowered operative position to hold the films in spaced relation, said spreader having guides movable along said rods.

8. A hlm' developing rack comprising a support, a, plurality of downwardly project-ing hook Shanks carried by said support and having hooks at their lower ends for suspending films, a vertically movable film spreading frame having film guides movable to positions above said hook shanlrs when the frame'is raised, permitting easy engagement of films with the hooks or removal therefrom, and means for holding said frame in a lowered operative position to hol-d the films in spaced relation.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3; to-

gether with a guard rod adapted to extend across the free ends of all of said hooks to retain the films in engagement therewith, and means for releasably holding said guard rod in operative position.

5. A structure as specified in claim l; said film spreader comprising a frame having horizontal side members to extend across the edges of the films, and transverse members extending horizontally between said side members in spaced relation to pass between the films.

6. A structure as specified in claim l; said film spreader comprising a frame having horizontal side members to extend across the edges of the films, and a flexible line having horizontal reaches extending between said side members to pass between the films, said line being coiled around the side members between the aforesaid reaches to hold the latter in spaced relation.

7. A film developing rack comprising a plurality of lihn suspending devices, a plurality of' film spreading frames for engage-- ment With the films at different elevations, and means for holding sai-d spreaders and suspending devices in substantially rigid relation while immersing the films in a developing solution.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto affixed my signature.

ETI-IAN S. COLEMAN. 

